U n loading-platform



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. J. GOLER. UNLOADING PLATFORM.

No. 493,980. Patented Mar. 21, 1893.

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BY 52 rmw 1141M a UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

ELIJAH J. OOLER, OF LIBERTY, OHIO.

UNLOADlN G-PLATFORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,980, dated March21, 1893.

Application filed July 30, 1892. Serial No. 441,759. (No model.)

T0 at whpm it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIJAH J. COLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Liberty,

in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Unloading Platforms, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in portable orunloading platforms of the class especially adapted to use in loadingand hauling tobacco and like products from the field, in which leisurelyand careful unloading by the hand is necessary to preserve the same inthe best condition pos sible.

The object of my invention is to provide a portable platform and wagonbed combined that may be connected with and released from the truck of awagon without efiort on the part of the driver and requiring no manuallabor; to be left in a suitable place for convenient unloading. It willbe seen a number of these platforms may be worked by a single team. Thisobject, I accomplish by providing a platform with legs pivoted to thesides thereof by means of which the said platform may be lowered ormounted on the truck of a wagon, and automatically coupled thereto, orallowed to stand on its legs independently of the wagon.

In the accompanying drawings my invention is fully illustrated, andreference is now made to Figure 1, which is a side elevation, showingthe platform standing independently of, and the broken lines showing itsposition when resting on the running gear of a wagon. Fig. 2, a planview of the same with the rear portion of the platform broken out, toexhibit the rear portion of the running gear, the front portion of thesame being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional View onthe line y-y of Fig. 2, enlarged. Fig. 4, a plan view with a portionbroken away, enlarged. Fig. 5, a sectional view on the line 00-00 ofFig. 2. Fig. 6, a longitudinal detached side View of one of the foldingjoints. Fig. 7, a

longitudinal detached edge view of one of the A denotes a coupling poleby which the front and rear axles B and B with wheels I) and b arecoupled. Hounds d, are bolted to the rear axle B and to the couplingpole by bolts on the side thereof, passing through the bounds, and themetal plate 0; these with minor braces or supporting adjuncts comprisethe well known running gear of a vehicle. To this plate 0, is alsorigidlysec ured an upwardly and rearwardly inclined spring metalcoupling rod D, having a hook or curve 6, at its free end; beneath thisrod in a vertical line, is a block, f, extending outwardly from thefront side of the rear axle B, of which, together with the rod D, andthe hook e, at the end thereof, further reference will be here-inaftermade.

The portableplatform is indicated by E, and consists of side pieces orlongitudinal rails E E connected by cross-pieces to which the flooringis attached. At both ends rods M and M extend across the platform, theouter ends of which are journaled in the legs N, which are securely heldon these rods by well known means. They are movably attached thereto inorder to allow their being raised from a vertical position to a positionparallel to the sides of the platform, as shown in Fig. 3, by theposition of the leg itself, and the position indicated by broken lines,forminga segment from the end of said legs to the side of the platform-,where they may be secured and held in that position by means of supports8. The length of these legs is greater than the distance from the top ofthe axle bolster to the ground; consequently when they are released fromtheir supports 3., they engage with the ground and as the Wagon is drawnforward, they assume an erect position, thereby elevating the platformfrom the position shown in broken lines as in Fig. l.

As a means of preventing the legs from passing too far rearwardly andbeyond the pivoting rod M and thus interfere with the practical workingof my invention, I employ a folding-joint O, bolted or otherwisesuitably attached to the legs and sides of the platform, adapted tobreak and fold as when the legs, are raised, as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 1shows them lengthened out to a position assumed when the platform iselevated on its legs and in a position to be unloaded.

The letter I indicates a bend extending outwardly from the lower end ofthe link that is attached to the leg; the object of this is to preventthe upper link, or that link which is attached to the side of theplatform and the lower link or that link which is attached to the leg,from slipping past each other when the folding-joint is doubled uponitself by the upward movement of the leg.

On the under face of the platform E, and riveted or otherwise suitablyattached thereto, is a metal plate P, having its rear end extendingdownwardly and terminating in a hook and adapted to aiford a support inthe center of rod M, as shown in section in Fig. 3. The object of thisplate is to prevent the rod M from being sprung forward to a degree thatwould interfere with the effective operation of the coupling rod D. Thisplate may also take the place of the rod M as a means of coupling therod D to the platform, and the rod M, dispensed with. This rod D i is anessential means of preventing the platform from slipping too far to therear, and to retain the said platform in'a position from which it may beelevated to rest upon its legs by the running gear being pulled forward.This operation is accomplished by the legs being released from thesupports 8, and placed against the ground, the forward movement ofthetruck will impart a leverage to the legs N, which in turn will imparta forward and elevated movement to the platform, and lift the same tothe position shown in Figs. 1 and 4. I wish to call attention to theeffect this upward and forward movement of the platform has upon thecoupling rod D. In Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 it will beobserved the hook e. ofthe coupling rod D is engaged with the rod M by partly encircling saidrod. This is the position the rod is in when the platform is beinghauled or when the team is stopped, but the legs of the platform havenot been released from supports (8); when this is done, they assume aninclined position against the ground;the pulling forward of the runninggear, and the action of the folding joints, bring the legs to, andmaintain them in a vertical position, and thereby the platform is raisedfrom the truck, and the rod M withdrawn from the hook e. In this upwardmovement the coupling rod D with hook e, is carried with the rod M untilthe latter gets entirely out of contact with the said coupling rod D,and is automatically released therefrom. When the coupling rod D springsback, (the natural spring of the metal permitting this operation in away that will be readily understood.) The block f,is arranged topreventit from springing too far in a lower direction.

In Fig. 1, the coupling rod D, is shown in its normal position, thebroken lines extending in a circle from the hook thereof, shows theextent of travel it makes when the platform has been elevated and therod M freed from the hook. It will be observed that in this operationthe coupling rodD is automatically released from engagement with the rodM, that is to say, no attention need be given this means of couplingbeyond seeing that the truck has been placed under the platform anecessary distance before the latter is lowered thereon.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with the running gearof a wagon, a spring couplingrod, rigidly attached thereto, having a hook e, at one end, a platformwith rods extending across the front and rear ends thereof, the rear oneof said rods adapted to become automaticallyin and out of contact withthe hook e, substantially as herein described.

2. In combination with the running gear of a wagon, a portable platformwith legs pivoted to the sides thereof by transverse rods M, and M theherein described. folding joints by means of which the legs aremaintained in a vertical position, and the spring coupling rod with hooke, by means of which the said platform and the running gear areautomatically united,substantially as herein described.

3. In a portable platform adapted to use in connection with the runninggear of a wagon, the combination with the platform having transverserods M and Mand legs pivoted to said rods, and the folding joints 0,having the projecting part I, of the spring coupling rod D, with book e,substantially as herein described.

4. In a portable platform, the combination with the herein describedplatform with cross rod M, the plate P, and the coupling rod D, asherein set forth.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.1

ELIJAH J. OOLER. Witnesses:

R. J. MOOARTY, EWING FRENCH.

